Thomas Jefferson, on law and morality not always being the same:
“But rightful liberty is unobstructed action according to our will within limits drawn around us by the equal rights of others. I do not add ‘within the limits of the law,’ because law is often but the tyrant’s will, and always so when it violates the right of an individual.”
–Letter to Isaac H. Tiffany, April 4, 1819
America is in its infancy, and unlike other nations, has no one to look to for successful examples of protecting freedom and individual rights. That is because the United States of America, and her Constitution, is unique in the history of mankind. I’ve heard it said that America has no discernible culture, in the way of European or South American countries, for example. It may be true we have no collective song, dance or particular clothing to define us. But, we do have a culture; it’s a culture of individual rights. A culture of freedom.
Our current political and economic conditions are proof that America needs leaders who understand our unique place in history. We need leaders who are ready to stand and defend the Constitution, remembering that they are representatives of the people and not dictators. Our elected officials exist to protect the individual rights of the citizens, so that they may live their life and pursue happiness. But, the reality is that our elected officials have turned our country into a nation of laws which dictate mundane, day to day aspects of our lives, destroying our inalienable rights. We spend most of our time trying to overcome the obstacles put in our way by the government itself.
Our country has been turned on its head: self-serving tax laws which lead businessmen to move their companies out of the country, destroying our manufacturing base; elected officials giving monetary assistance to one business over another, destroying fair competition; allowing Islamic mandates to be used in our courts, making a mockery out of our judicial system; allowing our educational system to be used as institutes for anti-American indoctrination; allowing those same institutions to be used to force the sexualization of children, undermining moral and beneficial relationships. Were you aware that teachers are given manuals instructing them on discussing HIV with kindergarten children? Kindergarten children are 5-6 years old, barely cognizant of their own bodies, but we have teachers discussing with them a sexually transmitted disease? I hardly think our Founding Fathers and Patriots fought to establish this country so our children could put condoms on bananas.
We’ve lost the knowledge, and stopped the evolution of the knowledge, of what it means to be a free people. We must understand individual rights. Everything flows from there. Everything.
Raising Reason 